Aaron Ramsey reacts to major Cardiff City announcement after shock exit
Aaron Ramsey has reacted to a huge announcement from Cardiff City after he recently left the club to join Mexican side Pumas UNAM.
Ramsey progressed through Cardiff’s youth ranks as a youngster before making his professional debut for the club in 2007, and he went on to play in their first-team for one full season before a move to Arsenal.
The 86-cap Wales international spent 11 years with the Gunners, and after spells at Juventus, Nice and Rangers, he returned to Cardiff in 2023 on a free transfer.
He struggled to find fitness and form on his return to the Welsh capital, however, and played just 23 times across two seasons before being appointed as their caretaker manager in April for the final three games of the last campaign.
The 34-year-old was unable to keep the club in the Championship, and was not handed the opportunity to become their full-time manager with Brian Barry-Murphy recently given the job after Salford City boss Karl Robinson was also shortlisted by decision-makers at Cardiff, as revealed by Football Insider.
Aaron Ramsey reacts to Joe Ralls’ emotional Cardiff departure
Cardiff confirmed on 12 June that Ramsey would be leaving the club at the end of his contract this summer, while they also noted that club-captain Ralls remained in discussions about a new deal with his contract set to expire this month.
Ralls’ future has now been decided and he is set to leave the club, as the Bluebirds took to Instagram to thank him for his service on Saturday (21 June), stating: “(Cardiff City) can confirm Club legend Joe Ralls will leave at the end of his current agreement. Joe has gone from Academy prospect to Club captain. His impact in a (Cardiff City) shirt cannot be overstated. We would like to wish Rallsy all the very best in the next chapter of his career. It has been an absolute pleasure.”
The 31-year-old is undoubtedly a hero to many in the Welsh capital, having emerged through Cardiff’s youth ranks to play over 400 times for the club since 2011.
Former teammate Ramsey reached out to the midfielder after the news was posted, sharing it to his Instagram story alongside the caption “Legend” with a blue heart emoji to further validate Ralls’ hero status at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Cardiff take a gamble on Barry-Murphy as their new boss
Football Insider verdict
Cardiff will play in the third-tier of English football next season for the first time in 22 years after they finished rock-bottom of the Championship last term, but Ramsey and Ralls will not be a part of their bid to instantly return to the second-tier, with the former set for a surprise move to Mexico to play for Pumas UNAM, according to the PA news agency via BBC.
Those decisions seem like wise ones as the Bluebirds aim to add fresh impetus and youth to their squad this summer, but it is fair to say that their appointment of Barry-Murphy is one that could backfire with the pressure on to perform next season.
The Irishman has been a highly-rated coach for a number of years, with three years in charge of Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad from 2021 to 2024 which saw numerous talented young players massively benefit from his training methods and tactics.
His only prior experience as the main man in the dugout came at Rochdale, though, as he led the club to relegation to League Two in 2021 before being sacked after two years in the job, so he is not exactly an experienced head for a team in a position like theirs right now.
Barry-Murphy may well be a revelation at Cardiff, much like Chris Davies has been at Birmingham City after following a similar pathway to management, but right now his appointment seems like a gamble that was not necessary after their relegation.